Spirit level bracket



C. H- DUNN SPIRIT LEVEL BRACKET Feb. 2, 1954 Filed March 18, 1952 IN VEN TOR. Kari/[flu 7772 ATTD RNEYS Patented Feb. 2, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for leveling pictures, furniture, and the like, and in particular a base having spaced upwardly extended arms with hooks on the upper ends of the arms and with a spirit level or the like on the base whereby with the hooks resting upon the upper edge of a picture frame, cabinet, or other article of furniture the level shows whether or not the picture frame or article of furniture is level.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a leveling device that is particularly adapted for domestic use and with which pictures, furniture and other articles may readily be adjusted to level positions.

Spirit levels and levels of other types have been provided in various forms and diiferent devices have been used in combination with leveling elements. However, the conventional type of spirit level is not adapted for convenient use upon a picture frame or other device having a comparatively thin molding on the upper edge. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a bracket having a level permanently mounted thereon and having hooks extended from the upper ends of upwardly extended arms whereby the hooks may be placed over the upper edge of a picture frame or molding of a cabinet with the base depending therefrom whereby one may readily determine when the device is in a level position.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for forming a bracket whereby hooks on the ends of arms extended upwardly from the ends thereof may suspend the bracket from a picture frame or the like so that a spirit level on the bracket will be positioned in a plane parallel to the upper edge of the picture frame.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spirit level bracket having spaced upwardly extended arms in which the arms fold to nested positions upon the base of the bracket to facilitate storing the device in a case or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bracket having a spirit level incorporated therein with means for suspending the bracket from the upper edge of a picture frame or the like, in which the bracket is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a plate forming a base, a spirit level mounted on the base, and upwardly extended arms having hooks on the upper ends hinged to the ends of the base.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description the ends of the bracket nested upon the base..

'Figure 5 shows a rear elevational viewofa bracket similar to the bracket shown in Fig.1 and illustrating a modification wherein a spacing tongue is slidably mounted on the baseqof the bracket.

Figure 6 is a plan View in Fig. 5.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the improved spirit level bracket of this invention includes a base In having arms H and I2 hinged to sections I3 and M, respectively at the ends of the base with hinges I5 and I6, and a spirit level, as indicated by the numeral I! mounted on the base.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, the width of the arms II and i2 extends from the outer edge l8 of the base Hi to the point I9, which is substantially midway of the width of the base whereby an extended edge 2E9 of the base is positioned to engage the outer surface of a glass panel 2| of a picture frame 22 with hooks 23 on the upper ends of the arms H and I2 resting upon the upper edge of the picture frame.

The extended ends of the hooks 23 are provided with projections slipping from the picture frame and the other surfaces of the arms are formed with sloping sections 25.

With the parts positioned in this manner the bracket is suspended from the upper rail of the picture frame and the extended edge 20 of the base contacts the glass panel of the frame whereby the base is held in a substantially horizontal position.

The spirit level I 1 is positioned between blocks 26 and 21 on the upper surface of the base III with the rounded ends of the tubular glass member of the spirit level extended into recesses in the blocks, as indicated with the dotted line and with the lower edge of the tubular glas member extended into the upper surface of the base I 0. It will be understood, however, that the of the bracket shown 24 to prevent the arms glass tube 43 -plastic, wood,

spirit level may be mounted on the base by other suitable means.

The section M of the base, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, is longer than the section 13 so that the arms H and I2 fold to nested positions as shown in Fig. 4.

In the design illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 abase 30 having arms 3! and 32 pivotally connected to the extensions 33 and 34 thereof with pins 35 and 36, respectively, is provided with rails 31 and 38 in which a tongue 39 is slidably mounted and the tongue, which is provided with a projection 49 is frictionally held by a resilient element 4] positioned in a recess 42 below the tongue 39. By this means the tongue is frictionally held so that it may be extended to compensate for frames havin a large overhang or where the distance from the outer edge of the picture frame to the glass is greater than that of the section of the base, such as between the points l9 and 20 shown in Fig. 2.

In this design the base 30 is provided with a having liquid with a bubble therein and the tube is mounted on the base with blocks 44 and 45, similar to the blocks 23 and 21. The arms 3| and 32 of the device illustrated in Figs.

'5 and 6 are provided with hooks 46 and 41, which are similar to the hooks 23, shown in Fig. 2.

With the parts arranged in this manner the leveling device of this invention may be folded with the parts in nested positions for storage and when it is desired to use the device the arms are opened to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5 whereby hooks on the upper ends thereof may be positioned over the upper edge of a picture frame or over a molding or other part of an article of furniture or the like, and with the bracket suspended in this manner the picture frame or article of furniture may readily be adjusted to a level position.

The plate providing the base 19 or the base 39 and also the arms and hooks may be formed of metal or other suitable material. It will be understood that modification within the scope of the appended claims may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a bracket for leveling picture frames and the like, the combination which comprises a plate having an extended edg and with upwardly extended sections of unequal length on the ends, arms of unequal length with hooks extended from the upper ends extended upwardly from the sections at the ends of the plate, and means hinging said arms to the upwardly extended sections at the ends of the plate.

2. A bracket comprising a plate providing a base, a long upwardly extending section on one end of the base, a short upwardly extending section on the other end of the base, a pair of spaced upwardly extended arms with hooks on the upper ends hinged to the upper ends of the sections, one of said arms being a long arm which is hingedly connected to the short section, and the other of said arms being a short arm which is hingedly connected to the long section whereby due to the unequal length of said sections and said arms, said arms may be folded into nested relation with each other on said plate, and a tongue slidably mounted on the plate and positioned to extend beyond an edge thereof to coact with the hooks for positioning the bracket on the edge of a picture frame, article of furniture, or

. the like.

CARL H. DUNN.

Number Name Date 399,415 Kafienberger Mar. 12, 1889 505,937 Brown Oct. 3, 1893 339,751 'Grunewald Dec. 25, 1906 2,025,138 Waite Dec. 24, 1935 2,068,103 Harris Jan. 19, 1937 2,240,086 Adler Apr. 29, 1941 2,539,923 Phaneuf Jan. 30, 1951 

